Training in Intensive Care

In-training assessment (ITA) of trainees in anaesthesiology is an essential part of the trainees’ education and development. ITA is a formative assessment and will complement other methods of evaluation, such as examination. ITA will focus on trainees’ professional competent practice on three domains: clinical skills, attitudes and behaviour.

Objectives

  • Assess and assist with the trainees’ progress towards appropriate professional competence
  • Provide regular feedbacks to trainees
  • Develop any remedial activities for the trainee that may be required

Process and Methods of Assessment

The ITA will be undertaken by the College designated specialist trainers and the College Supervisor of Training in at least 6 monthly during the period of clinical training (or shorter if there is a change in hospital rotation). There are 2 ITA forms designed for specialist trainers and SOTs:

ITA Form for Trainers

  • To be completed by two or more specialists trainers, and/or
  • To be completed in a formal consensus senior staff meeting of the department
  • The form must be kept by the College SOT

ITA Form for SOTs

  • To be completed by Collge SOT with information from ‘ITA Form for Trainers’
  • ITA is a joint process of evaluation and goal setting by the Trainee and the SOT
  • Trainee and the College SOT must sign this form after the trainee has had the opportunity to add comments
  • The trainee, College SOT and the College must keep a copy of the signed completed ‘ITA Form for SOTs’

Both ITA forms are required to document and sign that the assessments have been completed in good faith.

Unsatisfactory ITA

Trainees are required to have completed ITA satisfactory before allowed to attempt the final fellowship examination or Exit Assessment. Hence, trainees who experience difficulty are encouraged to discuss with the College SOT so that remedial strategies can be established. Examples of remedial strategies include:

  • Feedback, advice and counseling of the trainee for any problem identified
  • Mentor appointment for further progress the trainee
  • Remedial further period of training

Trainees with an unsatisfactory individual ITA must be monitored and reassessed at a later stage; and formal documentation of the ITA and remedial strategies are required. The Board of Education shall be notified for any trainee whose performance is consistently below acceptable level (two or more unsatisfactory ITAs) and a number of actions may be considered included but not limit to:

  • Exclude from sitting the fellowship examination and/or Exit Assessment
  • Recommend further period of training
  • Leave or interrupt training
  • Out of training
  • Advice for career change

Trainee with unsatisfactory ITA who has any dispute of the ITA can appeal to the College or the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine.

In Training Assessment Form (The form should be signed by the SOT of the training hospital during the training period)

Administrative Instructions for submission of In-Training Assessments (ITAs)

Enquiry: Email to Chairman of Board of Intensive Care Medicine

Formal Project Administrative Instruction (for trainees registered after 1st July 2018 and before 30th June 2022)

Formal Project Administrative Instruction (for trainees registered after 1st July 2022)

Video of Formal Project Submission Procedure by Dr HY So (07:07)

3 – 4 Formal Project Meetings are arranged each year.  Tentative Formal Project Meetings in 2024 are : 

    • 23 Feb 2024 (Fri)
    • 19 Jul 2024 (Fri)
    • 20 Dec 2024 (Fri)

HKCA e-training portfolio

ICMEPS for Joint Intensive Care Medicine Curriculum
The ICMEPS mainly serves as a platform to facilitate documentation and implementation of workplace-based assessment (WBA) of the joint curriculum. You may click here for the demonstration video on the system. And click here for Guidelines on Workplace-based Assessment of the joint curriculum.

  • For trainees who proceeded to Higher Training before 1 July 2022,
    – ICMEPS serves to document the WBA activities. Upon completion of a WBA activity, the WBA form will be stored within the system. Trainees/trainers can review individual forms for learning purposes
  • For trainees who proceeded to Higher Training on or after 1 July 2022,
    – It is a mandatory requirement that certain number and categories of WBA activities have to be completed satisfactorily in their higher training.  For details, please refer to the Guidelines on WBA of the joint curriculum.
    – There is a counter in the dashboard to keep track of their progress.
  • Workflow for WBA
    – Trainees/trainers choose the category of WBA
    – Upon completion of a WBA activity, trainee submits the WBA form (with baseline information filled in) to the trainer via the system
    – The trainer will receive an email with a link to the WBA form for completion by filling in the feedbacks and comments